Senate GOP ramps up drive against contraceptive rule

Senate Republicans late Tuesday stepped up their assault on the White House’s politically volatile contraceptive coverage mandate, vowing to find some way of striking it if the administration didn’t roll back the rules itself.

Using unusually strong language in a floor speech, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the new policy “abhorrent” and said the administration had crossed a “dangerous line” with its decision to require employers to offer birth control for free as a preventive health benefit in health plans, a decision that was part of the implementation of the 2010 health care reform law.

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Churches and other places of worship are exempt, but most other religious organizations will have to comply, although they have an extra year to do so — until August 2013.

“Make no mistake: The Obama administration’s decision to force religious hospitals, charities and schools to comply with a mandate that violates their religious views is abhorrent to the foundational principles of our nation,” McConnell said. No one in the United States of America should ever be compelled by their government to choose between violating their religious beliefs or be penalized for refusing.”

McConnell’s floor speech — along with a barrage of letters from other Senate Republicans blasting the policy — was clearly timed to coincide with a series of floor speeches from Senate Democrats defending the policy and going after what they see as attacks on women’s health.

The policy is drawing heightened attention and controversy, in Washington and on the campaign trail, days after the Susan G. Komen for the Cure-Planned Parenthood imbroglio sparked a heated and swift-moving national debate about abortion and women’s health. The Mitt Romney campaign issued a statement on Tuesday saying that, if elected, he would eliminate the contraceptive mandate on Day One of his presidency.

“The outcry is unbelievable — turning it into a political issue when it is a medical issue,” Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), a strong proponent of the administration’s policy, said on the Senate floor. “We’re going to see legislation to overturn this … and it’s going to be a battle here on the floor of the Senate.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters that Democrats had discussed the birth control policy at their weekly policy lunch and stood by the president’s decision.

But in a nod to the sensitivity and political repercussions, Obama’s campaign adviser David Axelrod said on MSNBC early Tuesday that the administration wanted to quell the growing controversy.

“We have great respect for the work that these religious institutions do. …We certainly don’t want to abridge anyone’s religious freedoms, so we’re going to look for a way to move forward that both provides women with the preventive care that they need and respects the prerogatives of religious institutions,” Axelrod said, holding out the possibility of a delay while compromise is sought.

They thought they could get away with it because they used liberal catholics to accept and push for ObamaCare.

Bart Stupak (D-Michigan) was sold a bill of goods wasn't he?

Carol Keehan of The Catholic Health Association sold her soul for a PEN Obama used for signing ObamaCare.

$1.1 billion dollars is hidden in ObamaCare saying doctors in consultation with their patients don’t have the ability to make the right healthcare choices.

That Billion dollars is to fund a 15 member panel (IN Washington) that will decide IF you need the care and if it is cost effective.

Hospitals will EARN more funds IF they push the elderly OUT of hospitals and save the government money.

Those who do not comply will NOT receive those funds,

Section 3025 of Obama’s mislabled.... Affordable Care Act .....calls for financially penalizing hospitals which admit sick Medicare individuals who need to return to the hospital within 30 days after their discharge.

What was it that Nancy said?

"We need to pass this bill so you know what's in the bill".

We are finding out a lot of things they didn't want us to know yet let slip last week.

Government=Collective pursuit to afford equal rights to access to basic goods for all.

For those tha operate in God's will and love,they do not need a law,for instance,to tell them not to kill or rob someone that they love.At best the law would be unnnecessary,and at worst redundant.

For those in churches obeying God's law of Love--or right against wrong--they could care less that a law allows them to kill their parents,have an abortion/contraception,or to rob their country and fellow men blind,they dont care,they are not going to do it.At best its all noise.

For those that have represented their interest against using politics( building consensus) for the public good,they will use this,racism,divide and conquer tactics,voters suppression,and whatever tactic to advance their agenda.

While the battle for the minds and Spirit(vital animating principle)has been settled,in the end their will be nothing before d-evil prevails against good in America or anywhere else for that matter.Obviously,even until the end,the evil army will destroy itself after nothing is left in its wake.

Thankfully to the Designer,Originator and Creator,no one can trick the truth.It would be like tricking a map.Before you are able to do that,you would have lost it all and everyone.

Government=Collective pursuit to afford equal rights to access to basic goods for all.

For those that operate in God's will and love,they do not need a law,for instance,to tell them not to kill or rob someone that they love.At best, the law would be unnnecessary,and at worst redundant.

For those in churches obeying God's law of Love--or right against wrong--they could care less that a law allows them to kill their parents,have an abortion/contraception,or to rob their country and fellow men blind. They dont care they are not going to do it. At best it is all noise.

For those that have represented their interest, against using politics-- building consensus-- for the public good,they will use this, or racism,divide and conquer tactics,voters suppression,and whatever tactic to advance their agenda.

While the battle for the minds and Spirit(vital animating principle)has been settled,in the end, there will be nothing before d-evil prevails against good in America ,or anywhere else for that matter. Obviously,even until the end,d-evil army will destroy those around it and itself after nothing is left in its wake.

Thankfully to the Creator,Originator and/or Originator ,no one can trick the truth.It would be like tricking a map.Before you are able to do that,you would have lost it all and everyone.

Government=Collective pursuit to afford equal rights to access to basic goods for all.

For those that operate in God's will and love,they do not need a law,for instance,to tell them not to kill or rob someone that they love.At best, the law would be unnnecessary,and at worst redundant.

For those in churches obeying God's law of Love--or right against wrong--they could care less that a law allows them to kill their parents,have an abortion/contraception,or to rob their country and fellow men blind. They dont care they are not going to do it. At best it is all noise.

For those that have represented their interest, against using politics-- building consensus-- for the public good,they will use this, or racism,divide and conquer tactics,voters suppression,and whatever tactic to advance their agenda.

While the battle for the minds and Spirit(vital animating principle)has been settled,in the end, there will be nothing before d-evil prevails against good in America ,or anywhere else for that matter. Obviously,even until the end,d-evil army will destroy those around it and itself after nothing is left in its wake.

Thankfully to the Creator,Originator and/or Originator ,no one can trick the truth.It would be like tricking a map.Before you are able to do that,you would have lost it all and everyone.

Religious organizations that are fully staffed by Catholics are exempted from this ruling. If, however, a nominally "Catholic" organization is staffed by Catholics and atheists and agnostics and members of other religions that aren't hostile to contraceptive use, then it is only fair to make sure these non-Catholic workers are not deprived of what all others receive. Over 80% of Catholic women use contraception of some sort, but of course the all-male Catholic hierarchy doesn't care what Catholic women think, do and want -- a longstanding problem of the sexist religion. The "natural law" reasoning supporting the Catholic taboo against contraception usage never did hold water. The Pope and bishops use the reasoning selectively to support their bigotries. For example, "natural law" reasoning would prohibit popes and bishops from shaving, driving cars and flying in jets, yet they do all these things. (We also don't hear them crying to high heaven about Viagra coverage for men.) Republicans may and will try to bellow vaguely about violating First Amendment rights in order to make Romney and Gingrich seem more palatable to Christians, but I, for one, am glad some organization is respecting the sacred equality of the sexes, caring about women's health and autonomy and giving women a fair shake,even if it is a secular one, our federal government.

Smart move on Obama's part. Republicans look even more right wing and out of touch campaigning against contraception.

I grew up Catholic, most American Catholics use birth control and want those rules to change, but unfortunately Rome dictates the policies in the US. I don't see anything here in this law that forces anyone to use contraception that's opposed to it... am I missing something here? I have a friend who's vegetarian and works at a restaurant that serves meat, that's not really a problem for her. I don't know how much McConnell knows about Catholics, but selling or dispersing contraception certainly isn't against their religious views, using it is what is.

right senate GOP why change lanes now, republicans have wasted more than three years in their LATEST assault against women and today their hopes of succeeding are no more likely than when they started decades ago.

Clearly, this is a winning issue for the Republicans in the fall. The vast majority of Americans agree I am sure that girls and women are the property (chattel) of their men-folk, and that their purpose is to bear children. Contraception is a nefarious plot that liberates women from the fear of pregnancy, and thus, the fear of wanton sex. When woman once again fears wanton sex, man will no longer be in danger of being seduced by woman sex maniacs-- the ones the GOP is out to destroy.

Also, I am absolutely convinced that the overwhelming majority of young Americans believe, as do the core GOP, that sex outside of wedlock with your one and only lifelong husband or wife is evil, and the would-be standard bearer of the Party Newt Gingrich is very firm on that point. He may make this claim because he has found religion, and also because when he was whoring around with his wives to be, cheating on his existing wives, he fell into that trap (of being lured by woman to sin) only because he was out of his mind with fatigue from doing the work of the United States of America. So, Gingrich's serial infidelities and chronic philandering were not sins of the flesh at all, but rather like post-traumatic stress-induced battlefield injuries to Newt's sterling character.

The GOP should get right out front with their platform on sex: except for married men and women (and forget about anybody else being married) sex is evil, and thus protection against HIV and other STDs, prevention of pregnancy, or any other evil that contraception allows is not merely unnecessary, but that protection should be made illegal. That is why sex education for children is evil. Nothing should be taught to children to allow them to think that sex with anybody than your one and only life husband or wife is anything but an evil that will lead straight to hell. Pregnancy is not to be feared-- rather it is to be welcomed. The Santorum Family may be held up as the model American Family. The young men and women of America aren't stupid-- they see this fact plain as day, which is why the GOP should make the evil of sex outside of marriage, and the evil of contraception, the main plank of their platform.

Newt Gingrich is exempt from the proscription on extra-marital sex, however, because he works so hard doing the work of the United States of America that he is, in a way, suffering chronic emotional injuries from which he may never recover.

In an effort to contain the effects of the massive exodus of women from the Republican party from its contorted position concerning women’s health, the Republican Party issued a new policy statement declaring Nineteenth Amendment is “unconstitutional.” The statement also claims that the National Woman Suffrage Association would have had ties to Planned Parenthood if that organization would have existed in the early 1900.

You are missing regulations that force Catholic hospitals.....against their will ....and the tenets of their religion....to fund and or even perform abortions plus sterilization and abortion inducing drugs.

OR

Risk heavy fines ($2,000 per person to START) and closure if they don't comply with ObamaCare mandates.

Section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act, enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) (the “Obamacare” statute), provides that “A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall, at a minimum provide coverage for and shall not impose any cost sharing requirements for— . . . (4) with respect to women, such additional preventive care and screenings . . . as provided for in comprehensive guidelines supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration . .

Those HRSA rules currently provide for “All Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.” ........ the Obama Care statute mandates that employer group health plans cover all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, including contraception, sterilization procedures, and “emergency contraception” as the FDA calls the Plan B, Plan B One-Step, Next Choice, and Ella “morning-after” pills.

What they can do.......

Employees of religious institutions can obtain contraceptive services, (Planned Parenthood) can obtain insurance covering contraceptive services from a source other than their employer, or seek employment with something other than a religious employer.

Over 90% of America believes in freedom to practice their religion.

Religious institutions operate over 25% of hospitals in America.....Think you or your child may need care?....Want them to have to shut their doors because of hefty fines?

Why aren't these Church Leaders and the Republicans complaining about the unconstitutionality of Churches getting tax payer money from the government? Requiring employers to obey federal law has nothing to do with whether or not that business is private or religious, it's business. If Churches find their beliefs in opposition to laws concerning busing and employment, then they should find something else to do.

What's really amusing is that these same Church Leaders who claim contraception violates their religious beliefs cannot prevent their own membership from using every contraception method required by Obama. If contraception is a sin under Catholic rules then why hasn't the Church thrown out the 98% of its female members who practice, or have practiced contraception in violation of god's law? The Supreme Court recently made a decision that Churches can discriminate in who they hire, they are allowed to hire only members of their faith, why then is contraception such an issue, don't all good Christians follow their church's rules?